My hen keeps having a problem with her vent?

[buddy18]

My sex link hen keeps getting blackish and white poop stuck on her bottom. Her vent is bright red and seems swollen (not sure). I give her a Epson salt bath and gently rub her bottom and lubricate her vent. She doesn't want to be around the other hens, which I understand to be her bottom/oviduct is red and shiny and tempting to peck. I'll do the bath until she seems better and isolate her or she will hide in a nest. These are free range so they roost in the trees. Usually when she is going through this she will not join them then I know she's not feeling good I put her in the barn, then she will be fine. There doesn't seem to be a egg stuck, I don't feel anything. Could it be a collapsed vent? Is it just the breed? She doesn't lay afterwords for a week or more. I don't have any idea what this problem is or why it is happening. We do not have any vets who treat chickens around here.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

blackish and white poop stuck on her bottom. Her vent is bright red and seems swollen
Epson salt bath and gently rub her bottom and lubricate her vent. She doesn't want to be around the other hens, which I understand to be her bottom/oviduct is red and shiny and tempting to peck.Usually when she is going through this she will not join them then I know she's not feeling good
Could it be a collapsed vent?

Hi @buddy18

I'm sorry you are having trouble.

Can you post some photos of the vent and hen?

From your description, I almost suspect that she has a prolapsed vent. Are you seeing red "tissue" coming out of the vent (does it look similar to the photos below)?

It sounds like this is something that has happened before? Separating her is good, other chickens can pick at it and cause damage.
If it is a prolapsed vent --- Soak her like you are doing in epsom salts, then apply some hemorrhoid cream to help reduce swelling. Gently push the prolapse to see if it will go back in. Sometimes the swelling is too great and you will need to wait and repeat the process. Keep the prolapsed tissue moist with cream - you don't want it to dry out, harden and essentially "die".

Offer poultry vitamins in her water or direct dose her with something like Nutri-Drench (1cc per 3lbs). Give her some extra calcium as well - a crushed TUMS sprinkled over chopped egg or direct dose of liquid calcium.

If I read correctly, this has happened before(?) Once the prolapse has gone back in, you may want to monitor her for a few days to see that it is staying in.

What do you feed? Do you provide oyster shell free choice?

Let us know how she is doing.

 

[buddy18]

Hi @buddy18

I'm sorry you are having trouble.

Can you post some photos of the vent and hen?

From your description, I almost suspect that she has a prolapsed vent. Are you seeing red "tissue" coming out of the vent (does it look similar to the photos below)?

It sounds like this is something that has happened before? Separating her is good, other chickens can pick at it and cause damage.
If it is a prolapsed vent --- Soak her like you are doing in epsom salts, then apply some hemorrhoid cream to help reduce swelling. Gently push the prolapse to see if it will go back in. Sometimes the swelling is too great and you will need to wait and repeat the process. Keep the prolapsed tissue moist with cream - you don't want it to dry out, harden and essentially "die".

Offer poultry vitamins in her water or direct dose her with something like Nutri-Drench (1cc per 3lbs). Give her some extra calcium as well - a crushed TUMS sprinkled over chopped egg or direct dose of liquid calcium.

If I read correctly, this has happened before(?) Once the prolapse has gone back in, you may want to monitor her for a few days to see that it is staying in.

What do you feed? Do you provide oyster shell free choice?

Let us know how she is doing.

Yes it looks like the bottom picture. She was doing better this morning but now its oozing again and I can see it pulsating. I will give her a bath and did you know that organic apple cider will actually shrink hemorrhoids? I sprayed it last time with some vetericyn which seemed to help. I feed them organic laying feed and oyster shells. They are free range so they eat a variety of food. Yes, this has happened before, she's my baby and I hate seeing her like this. Thanks so much for your reply!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I didn't know that ACV would shrink hemmoroids, good to know. If you are organic you can use raw honey on the prolapse as well.

Calcium will hopefully help her retract and contain the prolapse, but if the swelling isn't going down, it may not stay completely in. If she still has exposed tissue, keep it moist (honey, acv - whatever you are using).

I hope she recovers soon. Keep us posted.

 

[buddy18]

I didn't know that ACV would shrink hemmoroids, good to know. If you are organic you can use raw honey on the prolapse as well.

Calcium will hopefully help her retract and contain the prolapse, but if the swelling isn't going down, it may not stay completely in. If she still has exposed tissue, keep it moist (honey, acv - whatever you are using).

I hope she recovers soon. Keep us posted.

She ended up being egg bound! Luckily she was able to pass the egg, I didn't know what was going on with all the leakage until I saw the egg shell and then the yoke, she was so sick. Cleaned her up and kept her in the house last night and she is feeling much better! She wanted out this morning, bottom looked good and everyone was happy to see her. I really wish that she was sterile and was done laying eggs, I don't want her to ever have this happen again. She is so lucky to be alive. I'm very organic and I would never have known another great idea for raw honey.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad that she is doing better. It sounds like she had a soft shell egg it "broke"? Yes, this can make them very sick. Hopefully all the egg matter has come out, it can sometimes cause complications.

I don't know many "natural" or "organic" remedies But have helped quite a few people and they have used honey and had great results.

For some "natural" tips on emergency care, if you haven't done so, check out Fresh Eggs Daily she has some interesting things. I'm sure some of the herbal remedies could be made organic(?)

I hope she recovers and has no more problems, please keep us posted.

http://fresheggsdaily.com/

 

[littleamber26]

Hi @buddy18

I'm sorry you are having trouble.

Can you post some photos of the vent and hen?

From your description, I almost suspect that she has a prolapsed vent. Are you seeing red "tissue" coming out of the vent (does it look similar to the photos below)?

It sounds like this is something that has happened before? Separating her is good, other chickens can pick at it and cause damage.
If it is a prolapsed vent --- Soak her like you are doing in epsom salts, then apply some hemorrhoid cream to help reduce swelling. Gently push the prolapse to see if it will go back in. Sometimes the swelling is too great and you will need to wait and repeat the process. Keep the prolapsed tissue moist with cream - you don't want it to dry out, harden and essentially "die".

Offer poultry vitamins in her water or direct dose her with something like Nutri-Drench (1cc per 3lbs). Give her some extra calcium as well - a crushed TUMS sprinkled over chopped egg or direct dose of liquid calcium.

If I read correctly, this has happened before(?) Once the prolapse has gone back in, you may want to monitor her for a few days to see that it is staying in.

What do you feed? Do you provide oyster shell free choice?

Let us know how she is doing.

I have a BO hen that is looking kinda like the top photo. she gets a little pasted up too. She never grew a tail, and had issues with pasty butt as a chick. I have given her a warm bath once a week ago to try to clean her up, but never thought of Epsom salts. It's not overly red or anything, it's more of a peachy color. Is this something I should be concerned about? Also the poo issue concerns me, I feel like it could cause a problem eventually, anything I can do for her to keep her from getting all messy? thanks!!